Spirited Away
by GhostMajor
Summary: Four years after the war, things were going great for Zuko; until a freak from another world decided to kidnap him. Now he must fight for his life in a strange world filled with even stranger people if he wants to return in time for the birth of his child
1. Taken

Well, this is my first crossover fic and only my second fanfiction, so I don't expect it to be all that good. It's fun writing it though, so meh. And for all you Zutarans or Maiko fans out there, sorry, but I am a Toko shipper and I _really_ didn't want to write either of those. But fear not! This story will not be focusing on pairings that much, though there will be a few mentions of them. All other pairings (both Avatar and TT) are cannon, though I don't think the Teen Titans part of my story will really have much romance going on. Okay, that's enough from me. On with the story!

Let me know what you think!

**I own neither Avatar: the Last Airbender, or Teen Titans. Both belong to their respective owners. I claim no rights to either, and gain nothing but pure enjoyment from writing this.**

* * *

**Spirited Away**

Chapter 1

**Taken**

~oOo~

**Z**

"Toph, you know you shouldn't be running away from the servants in your condition," the young Firelord scolded gently as the pair walked into the huge sleeping quarters reserved for the ruler of the Fire Nation.

The sixteen year old sighed. "Being pregnant isn't a 'condition', Zuko."

"I-I know that," he replied awkwardly. "But what if you tripped? You could get hurt…or worse, hurt the baby. Maybe you should just take it easy from n-"

Two calloused hands grabbing his face interrupted the young man. "Zuko," Toph started sweetly. "You know I love you, right?"

The Firelord was thrown off a bit by this, but answered regardless. "Of course. You never would've married me if you didn't."

"Good, then you'll understand that I say this out of love: If you don't want to sleep underground tonight, you'll shut-up."

"But if you or the baby ever got hurt, I'd never be able to forgive mys-"

"I'm fine, Zuko." She told him more gently. "_We're_ fine. And I know you're nervous about becoming a father, and I understand why, I really do. But you are gonna be the best dad ever." Toph let her hand slide down her husband's arm until she felt his own hand. She then placed it on her stomach, where a large protrusion could be felt underneath her flowing robes. "No matter what happens in the future, whether we have a son or a daughter, or both, you are going to be the father you never had; kind, caring, and completely awesome."

Zuko pulled her into a hug, leaning down to capture her lips with his own. After a minute, Toph pulled away to rest her head on his shoulder, saying, "Well, not as awesome as me, but you still come pretty close".

The Firelord chuckled as he kissed the top of her head, feeling for once like the luckiest man in the world.

"It's getting late. We should get some sleep."

Yes, things were finally looking up for Zuko. He just hoped his luck would last.

~oOo~

**?**

"Will you be retrieving your new apprentice tonight, sir?" Asked an elderly man with a British accent. He placed a cup of coffee on the desk in front of his partner and long-time friend as he waited for an answer.

"Thank you, Wintergreen," came the reply in a deep, smooth voice. "And yes. In just a few moments, the portal will be ready and I will go and claim my prize."

"Sir, if I may, what exactly is so special about this young man you chose? Considering your research on this world you've discovered, wouldn't this 'Avatar' person be the better choice with all the power he holds?"

The man laughed; a sound that would have sent chills down most people's spines. "Power is not everything, my old friend. The Avatar is powerful, I'll give him that, but his personality is flawed."

Wintergreen raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"He's too naïve. According to the reports I 'liberated' from Dr. Lebert along with the portal, this almighty Avatar refuses to kill even the smallest of insects; a…side effect of being raised by monks."

"And the young man you have chosen?"

The man lifted a file and handed it to his friend. He had gone over it enough times, he didn't need to read it to know what it said.

"Name: Zuko Kasangi; twenty years old," Wintergreen read aloud. "Ruler of the Fire Nation; can create and control fire; redirect and create lightning; master swordsman…this is all well and good, sir, but what of his personality?"

A smirk graced the man's features, a wicked gleam in his eye. "Very much like that of my first and favorite apprentice."

Now it all made sense. Before Wintergreen could reply, however, an alarm sounded from across the room.

"It's time."

"Good luck, sir."

~oOo~

**Z**

Even four years after the end of the war, Zuko was a light sleeper. Living as a fugitive of every nation in the world for several months taught him to stay on his guard, even when asleep.

It was this that caused his eyes to snap open in alarm when he heard a noise coming from the far side of the room. It was faint, so much so that he wouldn't have heard it at all if it wasn't for his excellent hearing, but it sounded much like a shoe stepping on the marble floor (all the wood floors in the palace had been replaced to help Toph see her way around).

He slowly eased himself up on his elbows so as not to wake the sleeping figure beside him and glanced around the room.

Nothing.

After several minutes of eerie quiet, Zuko finally sighed. He hated being so paranoid, but being the ruler of a nation responsible for a hundred year war meant he couldn't take any chances with possible assassins. Sure, he had been one to end the war, but one hundred years is a long time for people to form grudges. Not to mention the many Fire Nation citizens (mainly nobles and high-ranking officials) that were still loyal to Firelord Ozai and wanted the man's worthless, peace-loving son off the throne.

Taking one last look around the room, Zuko decided he was just imagining things and would go back to sleep. He glanced over at Toph, who was sound asleep; completely unaware her husband was even awake. Zuko envied her in that she could get a full night's sleep without being woken up by every little sound. He smiled at the peaceful expression on her face before leaning over and kissing her forehead softly.

"I love you, Toph," he whispered.

He reached a hand forward to brush some hair off her face when a handful of his own hair was grabbed from behind, roughly jerking his head back. Panicking slightly at the sudden attack, Zuko swung his elbow backwards, hoping to knock the air out of whoever was behind him. Pain exploded in his arm as his joint met metal. This person was wearing armor.

As Zuko hissed at the pain coursing through his arm and the back of his head, a cloth was pressed over his nose and mouth by his attacker's free hand. This confused the Firelord until he noticed something odd: there was something on this cloth; and he was being forced to inhale it. With each breath, he could feel himself being pulled farther and farther from consciousness. He reached his shaky hand farther towards his wife, but only managed to brush her shoulder with his fingers before his limbs stopped responding, falling limply to the bed underneath him.

He felt himself being lifted from the plush mattress, but his vision was so blurry, he couldn't see what his attacker looked like. Zuko could tell they were moving, and judging from the direction, they were headed towards the large window. A sense of foreboding washed over him then, like he wouldn't be seeing his home, or his wife, for a long while.

"T…oph…" he muttered. Then his world went black.

Zuko felt like he had been run over by a stampede of komodo-rhinos as consciousness slowly, but surely made its way back to him. Noting the horrible metallic taste in his mouth, he cracked an eye open to get a better look at his surroundings, moaning when a bright light above him flooded his vision, causing his head to pound even more.

"Awake at last, I see," came a mysterious voice from somewhere in the room. Heavy footsteps were heard as the person neared what Zuko now realized was the table he was strapped down to.

As the light above disappeared, the young man slowly reopened his eyes to see it was his captor that was blocking it as they loomed over him. What a captor it was too. Obviously male, the man wore armor over a skin-tight suit. However, this was not like Fire Nation armor at all; or any other armor he had seen throughout the four nations, for that matter. His outfit wasn't what startled the young Firelord however. It was that mask. Covering the man's entire head, it appeared to be made of metal. Half was black, while out of the orange half peered a cold gray eye. Shivers ran down Zuko's spine as their eyes met. He didn't like the cold, calculating glare he was receiving. It reminded him too much of his father and sister.

"I'm sure you have many questions," the man started.

'Many questions' was an understatement. Zuko had a list a mile long: Where was he? What kind of fire was lighting the room? What was up with this guy's clothes? Where were Toph and Uncle? Anger welled up inside of him as he thought of what he would do to this man if he had harmed his wife or adopted father. Not to mention his unborn child.

He decided to go with the simplest question for now.

"W-who are you?" He squeaked, throat sore from whatever the man had forced him to inhale, throwing him into a coughing fit.

Zuko was blinded once more as the man walked away, returning a moment later with a glass of water.

Slipping a hand behind Zuko's head, the man lifted it slightly, bringing the glass to the Firelord's lips. "My name is Slade," he answered as the young man nearly choked from drinking too fast.

After reaching his fill, Zuko nodded, signaling he was finished. Slade gently laid the twenty year old's head back down and returned the empty glass to the table he retrieved it from.

"Where's my wife?" Zuko demanded. He was able to put more force behind his words now that the pain in his throat had eased up.

Slade chuckled. "I haven't done anything to your wife; any of your friends or family for that matter."

Zuko glared at him. "Then no matter how much you threaten my life, the Fire Nation will never give in to you demands."

This time, Slade laughed. It was an eerie sound that made the Firelord cringe inside. "Your nation's coins are of no use to me."

"Then why did you kidnap me?" Zuko asked, confused.

"I need your help with a little 'problem' I'm having."

"And that would be?"

"I brought you to this world to help me rid of a few nuisances," Slade continued, ignoring the look of surprise and skepticism the boy gave him at the mention of another world. "Once they are out of the picture, I will gladly return you to that little wife of yours."

"When you say 'rid of', you mean…"

"Destroy them," Slade cut in.

Zuko's eyes widened. "You brought me here just to kill someone?"

"Honestly, I don't care how you destroy them, though killing them would be the preferred outcome," the man replied nonchalantly.

The Firelord couldn't believe what he was hearing. Anger setting in, Zuko snapped, "and why would I do anything for a creep like you?"

"Because," Slade replied, eye flashing in anger. "I am the only one with the means to return you to that barbaric world you call home. Disobey me, and I will not only destroy you, but your friends, your family, your country, your _world_ will also perish. And you will be to blame."

Zuko glared at the man. He hated being used; he had been for a good portion of his life, and it seemed the cycle was starting over again.

"…Fine," the Firelord reluctantly agreed.

"Good." Slade was enjoying this way too much.

"So, who's this nuisance?" _Aang would have a fit if he knew about this_, Zuko thought somberly. _But…I can't risk everyone's lives like that…_

With a wicked gleam in his eye and a smile evident in his voice, Slade answered, "the Teen Titans".

~oOo~

**TT**

Things were pretty normal in Titan's Tower. At least, as normal as a group of crime fighting teenagers could get. Robin, the team's leader, was in his office working on some case, preferring the quiet solitude of the cluttered room to think over the loudness of the main room. Starfire was cooking a traditional dish from her home planet of Tamaran. She was trying to convince Raven, who was ignoring her by reading a book by Edger Allen Poe, that the disgusting food was "absolutely glorious in taste" and that eating it together was a "wonderful way to strengthen their bonds of the friendship". Over on the couch, Beast Boy and Cyborg were playing a video game. Or more specifically, Cyborg was beating Beast boy in a video game.

"Dude, come on! That's no fair! You totally cheated!" whined the little green changeling.

"Fair's fair, BB," Cyborg retorted. "I can't help it that I'm better than y- booyah!"

Tossing his controller on the floor, Beast Boy flopped back on the large couch. "Ugh."

"Oh come on, man, don't be such a sore lo-" The cybernetic teen was cut off by an alarm blaring throughout the tower, the lights flashing a bright red.

Robin quickly rushed through the doors as if he had been standing right behind them when the alarm sounded. He ran up to the keyboard located in front of the large, floor to ceiling monitor at the front of the room and, after pressing a few keys, scanned the information being sent to them.

"…There's been a break-in at Wayne Industries…" he informed his team, confusion evident in his voice. Quickly pushing this feeling aside, Robin turned to the other Titans. "Be on your guard. Anyone who can break in there has skills," he warned, ignoring the annoying voice in the back of his head reminding him that _he_ had been one of those people to break into the Wayne Jump City branch building. Bruce hadn't been too happy about that. Shaking his head to clear it of thoughts that would only leave him with a headache, Robin hollered, "Titans go!"

With that, they bolted out the doors, headed towards the city, towards Wayne Industries, and the person brave (or stupid) enough to attempt to rob Batman.


	2. Meeting

A/N: I am so sorry for the late update. The hard drive on my computer died, so I lost everything and had to retype it. And for those of you waiting on chapter 10 of Balance, I have to rewrite that one from scratch, so it will be a little while longer. Thankfully, I wrote this one out on paper, so it wasn't that much effort (just finding time to swipe my mom's work computer xP).

Anyway, here's the next chapter for Spirited Away. Hopefully it's worth the wait.

Chapter 2

**Meeting**

~oOo~

T

Toph was woken up by the sound of knocking on the door.

"Please forgive the intrusion, my Lady," said a timid servant girl as she opened the large mahogany doors and bowed. "But General Iroh has requested the presence of your Highness and Firelord Zuko for lunch by the turtle-duck pond. He says you both must be hungry after missing breakfast."

The young Fire Lady groggily sat up in bed, her hair a tangled mess. "Zuko didn't eat?"

"Um, yes, my Lady…I mean, no, my Lady, he didn't."

"That idiot," Toph muttered, throwing the silk sheet off of her. "I told him no leading a country until he's eaten first. But _no_, he always 'forgets' because he's too busy," she mumble under he breath. Toph was quite aware of how much she was complaining in front of the servant, but she didn't care. She was feeling particularly sick this morning. "Where is he anyway? He was supposed to have woken me up by now."

"Actually, my Lady, we were hoping you knew of his location," the girl said nervously.

"What do you mean?"

"No one has seen the Firelord all morning, ma'am."

Swinging her legs around and placing her feet on the floor, Toph told her, "I'll find him…"

Strange, she couldn't "see" him at all; he wasn't in the palace. She did see something out of place, though. This normally wouldn't have bothered the messy teen, but the misplaced item was in their bedroom. Sitting in a corner of the room on the floor was a small metal… something that hadn't been there when the pair had gone to bed last night.

It was about the size of Zuko's hand, but was very thin, only a few centimeters thick. Inside held many smaller metal parts that Toph had never seen before.

"What is it, my Lady?" the servant girl asked, noticing the confused look on Toph's face.

"There's something…" She trailed off, tentatively making her way towards the object. Praying it wasn't some sort of explosive device, Toph knelt down and picked the item up off the floor, nearly dropping it as the metal parts began to move inside.

She jumped a bit as the other girl squeaked in surprise right next to her.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"There's something glowing on top of it," the servant answered, clearly frightened by what she saw. "It…it looks like a…like a face."

Before Toph could respond, a deep voice emanated from the device in her hand. "I'm sure that by now, you have started to wonder where your precious Firelord is," inquired the voice. "But fear not. He is safe and sound here with me." There was a pause, in which something caused the servant girl to gasp. "That is," it continued, "as long as he does what I ask of him. If not, you can kiss your world good-bye. If Zuko disobeys my orders, or if any of you attempt to rescue him –which I highly doubt you will- I will send an army to invade your entire planet so fast, it will make your heads spin. Not to mention his own life will be forfeit as well. But who knows? If he behaves, he might be allowed to return home in time to see the birth of his child. If not, well, for your sakes, let's hope it doesn't come to that." With that, the voice ended, the insides of the metal box stilling once again.

"Zuko," Toph started, trying her best to keep the fear out of her voice. "Did you see him?"

"Y-yes, my Lady, he was there."

"Well? What did he look like? Was he okay?" Being blind normally didn't bother Toph. She was actually glad to have been born this way; it had made her the bender she was today. But there were times when she absolutely hated not being able to see. This was one of those times.

"I saw not injuries," the girl answered. "But he appeared to be unconscious, ma'am. And he was…"

"What? He was what?"

"Strapped…to a metal…table."

Toph let this all sink in, still finding it hard to believe someone had kidnapped her husband with her _right there_. She knew Zuko. He would have put up a fight; would've woken her up so she could help –well, not so much since she'd told him she was pregnant, but he would have tried to get her out of there at least. Something must have happened.

"Go get Iroh," the Fire Lady ordered. "Tell him to hurry."

~oOo~

R

Robin wasn't happy. He was always annoyed when someone decided to cross the line into thievery, having done it himself a few times, but when someone stole from billionaire, Bruce Wayne, he couldn't help but take it personal. Bruce _was_ his adopted father, after all. Though none of his teammates knew this little tidbit of information. Robin had left his Dick Grayson persona back in Gotham, and he intended to keep it that way.

He sped through the streets of Jump City on his R-Cycle, Cyborg and Beast Boy following close behind in the T-Car. Starfire and Raven soared over buildings up above.

"Man, Wayne Industries has the best security there is. Who could possibly break in there?" asked Cyborg over the communicator.

"I'm not sure," Robin answered. "Whoever they are, they've got incredible stealth to be able to make it in there at all."

"I guess we'll find out when we get there," Beast Boy added.

Within minutes they arrived at the hue building. Starfire flew down and grabbed Robin's wrists, while BB transformed into a pterodactyl and picked up Cyborg in his massive claws. Together they all flew to the area of the skyscraper that had been broken-in to.

They moved quickly and quietly through the building. The double doors blocking their path were enveloped in dark energy as Raven ripped them off their hinges to reveal a slender figure standing in the middle of the room.

"You know," the man, said, "it really was nice of Mr. Wayne to start experiments on xenothium. He has quite the supply here."

"Red X," Robin growled, angry at himself for creating the suit, and at the thief who stole it from his vault and was now using it to steal from Bruce. "Titans go!"

Before the group could charge at him, X lifted a hand to his belt. "I'd love to stick around and catch up on old times, but I've gotta run," he said, saluting. With the press of a button, he was gone; vanished into thin air.

"Why do they always do that?" Beast Boy whined.

Robin cursed and threw his fist into the nearby wall, startling the others.

Starfire stepped towards him. "Robin?"

"Search the city," he ordered, eyes narrowed in anger. "Find him and get that xenothium back."

He was going to have to have a talk with Bruce later; ask him just _what_ he was thinking when he sent that large supply of the unstable substance to Jump.

"Star, you take the North part of town," Robin started. "Raven, the South. Cyborg, you take the East, and Beast Boy check the West."

"What about you?" Raven asked.

"I'll be searching every place you guys don't."

~oOo~

Z

He was confused to say the least. After going through all the trouble to kidnap him, Slad had just…kicked him out. This would have been fine with the young Firelord –there was no way Zuko would _want_ to stay in the clutches of that weirdo- but now he was completely and hopelessly lost in a strange world that was cluttered with huge buildings and odd machines lining streets made of some type of black rock. Toph would know what kind it was, but Zuko hadn't a clue.

He was thankful the man had at least given him some clothes to wear. Even in another world, he was sure he would get quite a few strange looks if he went running around in nothing but knee-high trousers.

Zuko guessed the clothes were simple in this place, but they took some getting used to for a man who spent the majority of his life wearing heavy Fire Nation armor. He was given a close-fitting black top that Slade had called a "T-shirt" and dark blue pants called "jeans". After wearing boots his entire life, Zuko found the "tennis shoes" quite uncomfortable, as they only came up to his ankles. He was also given a stretchy band to tie back his long hair into a ponytail that went down to the middle of his back. A few stray hairs fell across the large scar on the left side of his face.

Not wanting to draw unnecessary attention to himself, Zuko kept his pace at a jog, hoping to appear as a regular person out on a late evening run. He prayed people of this world did that.

Being a nation filled with Firebenders, Fire Nation citizens rarely were out after dark –with the exception of festivals and the occasional drunkard here and there on their way home from the tavern- but it was a common activity among the Water Tribes, who's benders got their strength from the Moon.

Zuko came to a stop after several minutes to catch his breath and try to get an idea of where he was. After years at sea, the Firelord was excellent at directions. Disappointment settled in as he gazed up at what little bit of stars he could see, realizing the constellations were different than they were at home. And just his luck, it was a new moon tonight. He would have to find another way to navigate his way around this place.

Maybe he could ask for directions. But where would he go? He didn't know anything about this place; let alone what its monuments were called. Then again, he could at least ask where he was. It was a start.

Zuko scanned the area…

Nothing. How was it a place this big had no people around?

_There._ As his eyes passed over an alley, he caught a glimpse of a figure standing in the shadows. Now, Zuko was no fool. A person dwelling in the darkness in the middle of the night was normally up to no good; he had done it a few times himself when he had been trying to capture Aang, and even once with Katara after he had joined Team Avatar –that had become the official name of the young group of war heroes, thanks to Sokka. Zuko was pretty sure the same rule applied in this world as well.

He walked toward the figure with confident steps. Zuko had no doubts he could take this person should they try to attack him, he was the Firelord, had helped take down his sister, and his best friend was the most powerful being in the world. Well, _his_ world.

As he neared, Zuko gasped at what he saw. The person was dressed like Slade. And it wasn't just one. There were at least six others behind them, all identical to the first. Dozens more lined the surrounding rooftops on either side. He could tell none of them where human; could feel the energy racing through them, as if their blood were lightning.

Knowing he couldn't take them all, Zuko sent a massive fireball towards the creatures in front of him. Hoping that caused enough of a destraction, he sprinted back out of the alley, running in a random direction in an attempt to lose his pursuers.

He just hoped he didn't get himself lost in the process.

Zuko was still running after what felt like hours. It wouldn't be too much longer until the Sun rose, a few hours at the most; giving him some much needed energy. He just hoped he lasted that long.

Seeing nothing as he glancing behind him, the Firelord paused in his mad dash. He leaned up against a building in an alleyway, trying to catch his breath and ease the stitch in his side. As he stood there, panting heavily, he felt an eerie presence right behind him. He turned and came face to mask with the last person he wanted to see right now.

"What was the point of letting me go if you were just going to try to capture me again, Slade?"

"My dear boy," Slade said in an amused voice. "Who said I was letting you go? The mission I have for you will take time. The Titans are stronger than they appear. You will need surprise on your side if you wish to defeat them."

_I_ don't _wish to defeat them_, Zuko thought angrily. _I just want to go home_. "So, what? You're saying I need to ambush them?"

"Yes, but it's not as simple as merely getting the jump on them. You'll need to fight them one on one. To be able to separate them from the rest of the team, you need to-"

"Gain their trust," Zuko interrupted. "You want me to get these people to trust me enough to be alone with me, then you want me to kill them."

Slade put his arms behind his back. "You catch on fast, Zuko." He stepped toward the young man, causing his whole body to tense. "Good. I expect satisfactory results from you. Otherwise, I can't guarantee the safety of your home world, are we clear?"

"…Yes."

"Do not fail me."

Before Zuko could react, Slade sent a kick into his stomach that sent him skittering out of the alley and across the street, where he landed in a heap on the stone walkway.

Glancing up, Zuko managed to see Slade disappear into the shadows, only to be replaced by a dozen of his minions.

~oOo~

St

She could understand why Robin was upset, but Starfire didn't like seeing him so angry. Red X had always been a touchy subject, but the alien girl sensed there was something else causing the Boy Wonder's temper to flair like it was.

As she soared over the tall buildings of Jump City, movement down below caught her attention, jerking her out of her thoughts. Starfire watched in horror as a young man, maybe a couple years older than Cyborg, went flying across the street before skidding to a halt on the sidewalk. Seconds later, emerging from the alley the man had just cam from, at least twelve Sladebots appeared, glaring at the form double over, clutching his stomach in pain.

Red X would have to wait. She sped toward the road, throwing starbolts at the unsuspecting robots, managing to take out about half of them. Truthfully, if felt way too easy to destroy them, but she rationalized it as shoddy craftsmanship on Slade's part.

"Please," she asked, landing in front of the young man. "You are undamaged?"

"I've been through worse," he answered as he rose to his feet.

Judging from the large scar on his face, she had no doubt this was true. Before Starfire could respond, the man punched his fist at the nearest Sladebot, sending a fireball into its face that knocked its head clean off. The robot's neck sparked, then the whole thing fell to the ground, lifeless.

The girl stood in shock as he rushed toward another Sladebot, leaped in the air, and did a flip that rivaled that of Robin's acrobatic skills before bringing his heel down on its head. The metal man burst into flames, sending robot pieces flying through the air. He quickly spun around, his fiery fist connecting with the face of another Sladebot.

Starfire was shaken out of her reverie when the man, distracted by two of the robots attacking his front, received a kick in hi back by the remaining bot powerful enough to knock him to the ground. The air appeared to have been knocked out of his lungs from the impact. She bolted forward and grabbed the head of the Sladebot and ripped its head from its shoulders, an easy feat for a person from Tamaran. Glancing at the fallen form, Starfire threw a starbolt at the robot preparing to kick him.

"Thanks," the man muttered, rising to his feet. He scanned the area and frowned. "Where the other…?"

Before Star could react, he rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding a laser blast coming from across the street. He then began making a strange movement; his middle and pointer fingers extended, he moved his arms in a graceful circular motion. Sparks began emanating from his fingertips before he thrust out one hand, shooting a stream of lightning directly into the Sladebot.

Starfire stared at the man in awe. "Who are you?" She asked.

"My name is Zuko," he answered, his voice prideful and confident, though his eyes showed wariness. "And you are?"

Before she could answer, the Titan's communicator hooked on her belt chirped loudly. Flipping it open, the alien girl was met with the face of Robin, the other three Titans quickly following.

"Titans, report," ordered the team's leader.

"Nothin' on my end," replied Cyborg.

"No sign of Red X here either," said Raven.

"Dude, remind me again why you added _teleportation_ to that belt," Beast Boy whined.

"I haven't found anything either." There was a moment of silence as Robin awaited a response from the red-haired girl and ignored the green-skinned boy. "Star?"

Starfire glaned at Zuko, who was eying her communicator with wide eyes, then answered, "I have been unable to locate the Red X, but I have discovered someone who may be of interest to you, friend Robin".

Confused, Robin asked, "What? Who?"

"He was being chased by the bots of Slade," she answered, not at all surprised by the gasps of her teammates. "He says he is called Zuko."

"Zuko?" Beast Boy asked. "Like, as in Danny Zuko?" There was an awkward silence, then, "what? Rita made me watch it with her when I was part of the Doom Patrol…Shut-up! Grease was a good movie!"

"Whatever you say, man," Cyborg laughed.

Ignoring the laughter of his friends, Robin said, "Keep an eye on him, Star. We'll be there as soon as we can".

"You wish for me to…put my eye on him?"

"It's a figure of speech…Just make sure he doesn't try to run off. Titans, move out."

~oOo~

Cy

He arrived at Starfire's location shortly after Robin. BB had morphed into a hawk and flown to the destination, while Raven had simply used her black magic to transport herself, leaving the two flightless teens to make their way there in their respective vehicles. Cyborg parked his T-Car next to Robin's R-Cycle and together they walked over to the rest of the group, who was standing around a pale-skinned young man with long raven-hair as he sat on the curb, hand clutching his stomach.

"So this is the guy?" Cyborg asked as he and Robin approached them.

Zuko stood and bowed, hand over fist, much like Robin did when he sparred. Recognizing the gesture, the Boy Wonder returned the bow.

"Why was Slade chasing you?" He asked, getting straight to business as he stood back up.

"He was holding me captive," Zuko answered. "But I…I escaped."

Robin's eyes narrowed. "So he kidnapped you." Zuko nodded. "Why would he do that? Is he wanting another apprentice?"

The young man fidgeted a bit before replying. "I don't know. I got out of there as soon as I could."

"Hold up," Cyborg cut in. "It takes all five of us to whoop Slade's psychotic butt. And not even Robin can get away from that guy –no offence, man- so how did you manage you escape?"

"You used your fire, yes?" Starfire answered before Zuko could respond.

"His fire?" Raven asked.

The young man lifted his hand, palm up, and a small amount of fire sprang to life, dancing, peacefully in the center.

Beast Boy stared, wide eyed. "Dude. How did you do that? Are you an alien, or a metahuman, or what?"

"A what?" Zuko asked, clearly confused. "It's just Firebending…"

"You…bend fire?" I did not know fire was a bendable substance," said Starfire.

Zuko sighed. "Don't tell me there're no benders in this world."

"What do you mean 'this world'?" asked the Titan leader.

"I thought so," Rave said. At the other's questioning stares, she clarified. "I can feel something different inside him; like a huge flow of energy that's centered in his stomach and courses through the rest of his body. It's unlike anyone in this world, other planets included. He's from a different world."

"The energy is call the Sea of Chi," Zuko informed them. "It's what gives benders their power."

"Wait, so there are more of you?" Beast Boy asked.

Zuko nodded. "I don't know how it is here, but where I come from, there are four nations: Fire Nation, Earth Kingdom, Water Tribes, and Air Nomads."

"Countries named after the major elements?" Cyborg asked, eyebrow raised.

"In each nation, there are people, benders, who can control their country's element. There are Firebenders, like me, Earthbenders, and Waterbenders."

"What about Airbenders?" Robin asked, noticing the man left out an element.

Zuko scowled. "There's only one left, thanks to my great-grandfather." He smirked then. "But there'll be two if his son takes after him and not Katara."

"Okay, so if you're from another world," BB started, "how did you get here?"

"I honestly don't know," Zuko answered, placing a hand on his head. "I was in bed and heard something, but I…I didn't see anything. I looked over at my wife, and the next thing I know, I was being forced to inhale his weird stuff that knocked me out."

"Most likely chloroform," Cyborg supplied.

"When I woke up, I was here."

"We must help you return home, then," Starfire stated. She floated towards him, saying, "You shall stay with us until you can be returned".

Robin stepped up to the redhead and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hang on, Star. You and Beast Boy stay here with Zuko. Raven, Cyborg, come with me." They followed him for about a block to make sure they were out of earshot of the Firebender. "What do you guys think of this guy?" Robin asked.

"He was telling the truth for the most part," said the empathy.

"Whadda ya mean 'for the most part'," asked Cyborg. "You sayin' he's been lyin' about something?"

Raven closed her eyes. "He knows why Slade brought him here. Whatever it is, it can't be good. He's trying hard to hide it, but he's scared; not just for himself, but his friends and family too."

"You think Slade's holding them hostage?"

"This is Slade we're talking about," Robin replied bitterly, his issue with Red X seemingly forgotten for the moment. "He's used hostages before to get what he wanted. I wouldn't put it past him to do it again."

Cyborg had no doubt the spiky-haired boy was remembering some very unpleasant memories of his time as the mad-man's apprentice. Robin had never told them everything he had gone through in the month he was gone, but the cybernetic teen had a feeling he didn't want to know; the truth would probably be enough to give them all nightmares fore a while.

"The question is," Cyborg started, not voicing his thoughts about his leader, "what does Slade want this time?"

Both males turned to Raven, who shrugged slightly. "His mind is too guarded for me to pick up on anything stronger than emotions."

"Then how did ya know he was lying?"

A hint of a smirk graced the goth's features as she answered, "he's just a bad liar". Raven's smile faded as quickly as it came. "Still, I don't trust him."

"Why's that?" Robin asked her. "Do you sense hostility or something?"

"No. But I can feel other things within him," she answered. "There are a lot of feelings he's trying to bury deep inside: great sadness, loss, pain, regret, shame. There're many bad things he's done that he wishes he hadn't"

"Well, at least the guy's remorseful," Cyborg offered. "That's more that what Slade's capable of."

Without a word, Robin headed back toward the trio, leaving the others to follow him. When they arrived, Zuko was examining Starfire's communicator while Beast Boy explained to him the epicness of video games.

"Dude, how do you people survive without video game? I would've died of boredom a _long_ time ago if I didn't have any."

Zuko eyed the green Titan, annoyance barely concealed on his face and in his voice. "It's not that hard to live without something you've never heard of." He handed the communicator back to its owner when he spotted the others.

"Zuko," Robin started. "We'll do what we can to get you back home." He held up a hand to shush the squeal coming from an excited Starfire, and continued. "However, we need you to tell us everything." A pause. "And maybe help us out with criminals here and there."

The Firebender bowed once again, saying, "It would be my honor to help you in any way I can".


	3. Contact

Chapter 3

**Contact**

~oOo~

**BB**

Beast Boy could honestly say that the trip back to Titan's Tower was one of the most awkward car rides of his life. Though he seemed to be trying to hide it, it was clear that Zuko didn't think much of the green changeling. He told him he was exactly like Aang with Sokka's bad jokes, but only Zuko knew the meaning of this, and it seemed he wasn't going to explain further.

They all had agreed that the Firebender sit in the front seat, so Cyborg could keep an eye on him while he drove, leaving BB to watch him from the back of the car. It wasn't that they actually expected him to try anything, but they still didn't trust him.

The other Titans had been surprised, to say the least, at Robin's order to take Zuko to the Tower, but hearing the firmness of his voice, they decided not to question him.

And so here they were, driving through the streets of Jump City, bombarding the Firebender with questions and answering the many he had as well.

"So you're made of metal?" Zuko asked the cybernetic boy next to him.

"Not entirely," Cyborg answered. "But the majority of my body is, yeah."

Zuko seemed to think this over for a moment before saying, "My wife would love to get a hold of you". There was an awkward silence, in which Beast Boy could see a blush rise first to his best friend's face, then to the Firebender's as he realized what he just said. "That is…what I meant was Toph, my wife, can bend metal; she's the only Earthbender who can. And she loves finding new metals to bend into statues and stuff…I didn't mean that she would…" He sighed, apparently deciding it better to just stop talking.

Beast Boy couldn't take it anymore. He burst into laughter, holding his side as he threw himself onto the back seat. "Dudes, you should see your faces! They're hilarious!"

"Yo, shut-up, BB," Cyborg told him, his embarrassment replaced by anger. When it seemed the laughter wouldn't be ending anytime soon, he slammed on the brakes, sending Beast Boy –who was the only one not wearing a seatbelt- flying into the back of Zuko's seat. He let out an undignified squeak as his face met fabric.

After his initial shock was gone, the Firebender snorted. "Now _that_ was hilarious."

"Was not!"

"Cyborg," Robin started, his face appearing on the screen built into the dashboard. "What's going on? I nearly ran into the back of the T-Car. Is everything all right?"

"Yeah man, everything's cool," he answered. "Just tryin' to get BB to shut his pie hole."

"Ah."

"Hey! I could have broken my neck!"

"That's why you're supposed to wear a seatbelt, Beast Boy," Robin told him, turning his attention back to driving as his face disappeared from the screen.

"Even Zuko's wearing his, and they don't even _have_ cars were he's from, man."

"Fine," Beast Boy huffed, grabbing a seat belt and strapping it across his chest, where it clicked shut. "Happy now?"

Zuko mumbled, "I'm never happy".

"What?" Cyborg asked, confused.

The Firebender seemed to be lost in his own little world. Snapping out of it, he said, "Oh, sorry. My friend asked me that question a few years ago, back when I was trying to get them to trust me too…"

"What do you mean?" The cybernetic teen asked him suspiciously.

"It's nothing…I'll tell you when everyone's together. It's a long story; I don't want to have to retell it once we get to…wherever we're going."

Cyborg pulled the T-Car into the tunnel that traveled under the bay to Titan's Tower, silence filling the car.

"So…" Beast Boy started. "Your wife is an Earthbender?"

"Yeah."

"So she can, like, move rocks and stuff?" The changeling couldn't help thinking of Terra. He really hoped things didn't turn out like they did with her.

"Pretty much," Zuko answered. "But she's also the only Metalbender in the world, like I said earlier, and she's the only person, that I know of, who sees with her bending."

Cyborg glanced over at him. "Sees?"

"Toph was born blind," the Firebender stated, affection evident in his voice. "She feels the vibrations in the Earth, and uses them to find her way around."

"You must be pretty protective of her then, huh?" asked BB.

Zuko actually laughed. "Of course not."

This took the two teens by surprise. "Wait, what?"

"Toph hates being treated like she's weak; she'd kick my butt if I _tried_ to protect her. She's proud of how she is, and she's not afraid to prove she's the best Earthbender there is." A pause. "I honestly don't think I would've even given her a second glance if she wasn't as strong as she is."

"You really love her, don't you?" BB asked softly.

"I do. I mean, if it weren't for her, my life would be so different right now; the whole _world_ would probably be different. She gave me a chance when no one else would." He laughed, though it sounded sad. "Even after I accidentally burned her feet, she still stuck up for me." Zuko turned his head away and looked out the window. Beast Boy thought he saw a tear roll down his unscarred cheek, but he knew better than to mention it. He understood all too well what it was like to miss the one you loved so much it hurt.

Apparently sensing the dark mood settling over them, Cyborg asked, "So where'd she learn to see with her bending?"

His subject change seemed to have worked, as Zuko turned back to them and smirked, not unlike what Robin would do. "A giant badger-mole."

~oOo~

**R**

Robin pulled into the garage behind the T-Car to hear Beast Boy chattering happily with the newest resident of Titan's Tower.

"Dude! Your animals are like…freaky combinations of ours." He proceeded to turn into a badger, then a mole. "See?" BB asked, turning human again. "What other animals are there?"

Zuko looked surprised at the shape-shifter, but quickly recovered, saying, "Um, well, there are ostrich-horses, komodo-rhinos, flying bison, lemurs-"

"You mean this?" The changeling turned into a lemur and Zuko's one eyebrow rose.

"What is _that_? Lemurs have huge ears and wings on their arms."

"As much as I _love_ discussing animals," Raven sighed before BB could retort, "can we move this conversation elsewhere?"

"Yes," Starfire agreed. "We would all be most comfortable in the room of living."

Nodding, Robin motioned to Zuko. "This way." Once they made it to the main room, they sat he Firebender at one end of the large U-shaped couch, while the Titans sat across from him. "Tell us everything."

For the next few hours, they listened as Zuko told them about his world; Benders, the Avatar, the Spirits, the hundred-year war, and the role he and his friends played in ending that war.

He explained that they started out as enemies; they, a group of kids with the weight of the world on their shoulders and he, a banished prince who wanted nothing more than to please his father and return home. Unfortunately, the only way to do that was to bring the Avatar home in chains.

"No one had even seen the Avatar in a hundred years." Zuko laughed bitterly. "Ozai sent me away believing I'd never come back." It appeared to Robin that he refused to even acknowledge the man as his father anymore.

"But you did return, yes?" Starfire asked.

Zuko nodded. "Eventually. I chased Aang and the others halfway across the world in the name of the Firelord. After failing to capture him in the north, Ozai got tired of hearing about how his son lost the Avatar _again_. So, he labeled my uncle a traitor and me a failure, then sent my sister to bring us back." He told them how they escaped; lived as fugitives; how he began stealing as the Blue Spirit to survive, even though he disliked it –something Robin could sympathize with; and how they eventually became refugees in a place called Ba Sing Se.

The Titans listened intently to the rest of Zuko's story; his betrayal to the Avatar and his uncle; returning home a hero; the startling revelation of the identity of this great-grandfather; his leaving the Fire Nation to join the Avatar; and how they all worked together to defeat his father, his sister, and his country to end the war and bring balance to the world. Zuko ended by explaining the events leading up to his kidnapping.

Throughout the entire story, Robin glanced at Raven, who sat next to him, to see if the Firebender was telling the truth or not. As Zuko spoke of his own world, Raven gave her leader small nods, confirming truth. It wasn't until he got to his escape from Slade that the empath frowned. Before Robin could say anything, however, she put a hand on his arm, shaking her head slightly.

There was a long pause after Zuko finished. He coughed, his throat obviously sore from talking for the past two and a half hours. Noticing this, Starfire rose and flew over to the sink to get him a glass of water.

Finally, Beast Boy broke the silence. "…Wow," he breathed.

Everyone nodded, that one word seeming to match the other Titan's thoughts as well. Robin knew it fit his. He wanted to confront the man about lying, but he trusted Raven, so if she felt it wasn't time for that yet, he would leave it be…for now.

While Zuko thanked Star for the water, Cyborg yawned. "Well, I don't know about y'all, but I'm ready to call it a night." He glanced outside, seeing the sun was already peeking over the horizon, he corrected, "er…day".

"Cyborg's right," Robin spoke up. "It's been a long night. We could all use some sleep. Star. Would you show Zuko to one of the guest rooms? Doesn't matter which, they're all the same."

"Of course!" the girl replied happily.

Before they could leave, Robin told the Firebender, "we'll send someone to come get you for lunch".

Zuko bowed, then he and Starfire disappeared from sight as the doors slid shut behind them.

"Is it really a good idea to send her alone him?" Cy asked.

Robin turned to Raven. "She can take care of herself," she answered. "Besides. He's not going to try anything. Not yet."

~oOo~

**Rae**

Raven wandered into the living room at around three in the afternoon to hear the usual argument of meat vs. tofu between Cyborg and Beast Boy. Ignoring them, she made her way to the cupboard to grab her teapot. After filling it with water and setting it on the burner to heat up, she glanced around. "Where's Star?" she asked Robin, who was reading the newspaper across the room.

He glanced up long enough to respond with, "went to get Zuko".

She was surprised to see the Tamaranian returning merely seconds later with Zuko in tow. Raven had thought for sure the young man would be practically impossible to wake up after last night's events, but he looked as if he hadn't slept at all. He had a huge bag under his right eye and his hair looked like it had been tied back half-heartedly. Even so, she could feel the sheer determination radiating off of him.

The empath still didn't fully trust him, but it had already been decided they would help Zuko return home, so she and Robin had agreed to stay quiet and just keep an eye on him. They'd be ready if this turned into another Terra incident.

"Raven," Zuko started hesitantly. "Beast Boy mentioned last night that…that your spirit can leave your body and go wherever you want it to?"

"It's called my soul self," she replied, sending a death glare to the green titan, who turned into a mouse and let out a nervous squeak. "But yes, I can."

She could feel hope swelling inside him.

"I was thinking; Aang is the bridge between my world and the Spirit World…and my great-grandfather was the Avatar before him, so in a way, I'm kind of connected to the Spirit World too…"

"You want me to try to contact your friend through his connection?" Raven asked.

"Yeah." Relief washed over Zuko's features, as he didn't have to elaborate on his idea. Raven guessed he didn't know much about the subject to begin with; that this was really a last resort kind of plan. "T-that is, if you didn't mind?" he added, sheepishly. It was brutally obvious he desperately needed sleep, but she could see now why it refused to come to him.

Raven was silent a moment before she finally decided. "I guess it's worth a try."

"So, you actually think all this spiritual mumbo-jumbo hoohah will really work?" asked Beast Boy, waving his arms above his head to emphasize his question.

"His logic does make sense…I think," added Robin, rubbing his chin. "Who's to say it won't?"

After turning off the burner, her tea clearly going to have to wait, Raven motioned for Zuko to follow her farther into the room. "We won't know until we try."

They sat facing each other in front of one of the room's large windows that overlooked Jump City, Zuko on the floor, Raven hovering about a foot in the air in a meditative position.

"Focus on your friend," she told him. "On the link you two share with the Spirit World."

"My great-grandfather?"

Raven nodded and closed her eyes. The Firebender closed his as well, concentration etched on his face.

"Azarath, metrion…zinthos." With that, her soul self rose up, looking much like a large bird, and dove straight into the raven-haired man.

~oOo~

**So**

The Universe just _loved_ messing with him. All those years of acting like men were so superior, and his wife had just given birth to their second daughter. Of course, he loved Yuuki –she was daddy's little girl- and little Kya, but it had been no secret that he had really wanted a son.

" Oh, come of, Sokka. You're nineteen. You have plenty of time to have a whole _litter_ of sons."

"Easy for you to say, Aang. You and Katara already _have_ a son." Sokka glanced over to watch his daughter try to block the path of Tenzin, who was desperately crawling away from the motherly three year old. Though she looked much like her mother, she acted a whole lot like her aunt. Poor girl. Kya held a striking resemblance to her namesake; dark complexion, dark hair, and breath-taking blue eyes –both children seemed to get the dominant trait for the eyes of the Water Tribe.

"So is Katara still in there helping Suki with the baby?" Aang asked, changing the subject.

"Why do you think I'm sitting out here?" Sokka retorted. The Avatar nodded knowingly. "Seriously though, Aang, I can't thank you guys enough for coming out here."

A hint of a blush crept onto the monk's once childish face. "I told you already, it's no big deal. Katara wanted to be here for the delivery and Kyoshi Island isn't that far from the South Pole." His gaze flickered over to his son. "We weren't sure how well Tenzin would do on the trip, but he seems just fi-"

"Aang?" Sokka asked nervously as his friend went silent midsentence. The familiar glow from the teen's eyes and arrow tattoos didn't go unnoticed.

Without much thought of anything else, the Water Tribesman jumped to his feet and ran into the house.

The women where startled as he burst into the bedroom, causing Kya to start crying.

Suki picked her up and tried to soothe the baby as Katara asked, "What's wrong, Sokka? You look like you've just seen a ghost".

"Aang just went into the Avatar State."

~oOo~

**Aa**

He was surprised to find himself here. He had gone into the Avatar State a few times since his fight with Firelord Ozai, but it had been quite a while since Aang had been to the Spirit World.

Not knowing what else to do, he wandered around until at last, he saw a familiar face.

"Roku?" he asked, walking up to his past life. "What's going on? Why am I here?"

"I do not know, Aang," Roku replied. "There seems to be…intruders in the Spirit World; spirits that have forced their way here."

"Wait, I thought you said you didn't know."

"I only answered one of your questions. I do not know why either of us are here," the older Avatar responded.

Before Aang could say any more, Roku pointed, saying, "they are here".

As the forms shimmered into view, the Airbender gasped at what he saw. There was a pale girl dressed in dark blue and black that he didn't recognize, and standing next to her, looking a bit disoriented was…

"Zuko?"

"Aang…" the Firelord said, his voice quivering a bit. He was dressed in his heavy robes, his hair neatly pulled back into a half top knot, his crown glistening within it and a freshly groomed goatee on his chin, something the Avatar was quite jealous of. In all, he looked exactly as he had when he had seen him a couple months ago.

"What's going on?" Aang asked him.

"I…"

"You're going to have to hurry, Zuko," said the girl in a monotonous tone. "My powers can't keep us here very long."

"Who is she?" the Avatar couldn't help asking.

"This is Raven," Zuko answered quickly. "She helped me contact you. Anyway, I need you to do me a favor, okay?"

Aang was shocked at the desperation in his friend's voice. "Of course, Zuko, anything."

The Firelord sighed in relief. "I need you to go to the Fire Nation. Tell Toph and Uncle that I'm okay and…and that I'll try my best to find a way to make it back home by the time the baby is born."

"What do you mean, Zuko? What's happened?"

"Tell them they can't try to rescue me, no matter what," the man continued, ignoring his friend's questions. "We'll all be in danger if they do."

"Answer me, Zuko," Aang ordered, his voice demanding.

Before Zuko could respond, Raven fell to her knees, clutching her arms around herself. "I can't hold it any longer," she told them weakly. "The link is slipping."

As their images began to flicker, Zuko told his friend in a voice that sounded far away, "tell Toph I love her".

Then they were gone, leaving the two Avatars behind.

~oOo~

**Ka**

The trio had worriedly gathered around Aang, waiting for something to happen, preferably, for him to return. Katara held Tenzin as she watched her husband, not caring the ten month old was playing with her hair loopies –this was a very common thing for her.

After what seemed like hours of waiting that couldn't have been more than a few minutes, the glowing dimmed, then vanished, leaving a weary-looking Aang behind. Sokka caught him before he could fall off the porch.

"What happened?" the young man asked. "One minute you're fine and the next you're glowing it up."

"We have to go to the Fire Nation, Katara," the monk suddenly stated, not bothering to answer his friend.

This caught the Waterbender by surprise. "Huh? Why?"

"I think Zuko's been kidnapped."

**A/N:** Dun, dun, duuuuun!

So, I managed to get a hold of my mom's computer for a while to type this up. I already had most of it down on paper, so it didn't take long. I don't know how long it'll take to get the next chapter up, hopefully not a long time, but I'm giving no promises on that. xP

Anyway! R&R!

As always, I own nothing. ;A;


End file.
